Satellite Power System (SPS) societal assessment

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6711234· OSTI ID:6711234

Construction and operation of a 60-unit (300 GW) domestic SPS over the period 2000 to 2030 would stress many segments of US society. A significant commitment of resources (land, energy, materials) would be required, and a substantial proportion of them would have to be committed prior to the production of any SPS electricity. Estimated resource demands, however, seem to be within US capabilities. Modifications will be required of institutions called upon to deal with SPS. These include financial, managerial and regulatory entities and, most particularly, the utility industry. Again, the required changes, while certainly profound, seem to be well within the realm of possibility. Enhanced cooperation in international affairs will be necessary to accommodate development and operation of the SPS. To remove its potential as a military threat and to reduce its vulnerability, either the SPS itself must become an international enterprise, or it must be subject to unrestricted international inspection. How either of these objectives could, in fact, be achieved, or which is preferable, remains unclear. Forty-four concerns about the SPS were identified via a public outreach experiment involving 9000 individuals from three special interest organizations. The concerns focused on environmental impacts (particularly the effects of microwave radiation) and the centralizing tendency of the SPS on society. The interim results of the public outreach experiment influenced the scope and direction of the CDEP; the final results will be instrumental in defining further societal assessment efforts.

• Research Organization: PRC Energy Analysis Co., Los Angeles, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-79ER10041
• OSTI ID: 6711234
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/10041-T12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ORBITAL SOLAR POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC OPINION
SOCIAL IMPACT
ECONOMICS
ENERGY ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
INSURANCE
INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
LAND USE
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NATIONAL DEFENSE
RECTENNAS
REGULATIONS
SITE SELECTION
SURVEYS
AGREEMENTS
ANTENNAS
COOPERATION
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
140400* - Solar Energy- Environmental Aspects
140600 - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems
140700 - Solar Thermal Power Systems
290200 - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology
299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)